Ipswich River Above the Tidewater

Though my countdown to spring ended a week ago, it hasn't felt very springlike 'round these parts...until today, that is.  The work that brought me to Ipswich this morning finished-up early and provided me the opportunity to explore another new (to me) section of the Ipswich River.  After launching my boat at Peatfield Street under a bright blue sky, I paddled the short distance towards the Ipswich Dam (aka Sylvania Dam) near the downtown area of Ipswich.  The mill building pictured in the opening photo now houses the EBSCO Publishing Company.  A dam and fish ladder at this site mark the transition from freshwater above the dam, to tidewater below it. 
This photo looks beyond the dam and footbridge...

About 1,000 feet downriver from the dam, but not quite visible in the photo, is the Choate Bridge, said to be one of the oldest double arch bridges in North America.   I turned around before reaching the dam and began heading upriver, curious as to how far I'd be able to navigate.

Just outside of town and along the MBTA commuter rail line, I came upon what looked to be an old "hobo jungle".  Next to an extinguished campfire was a trash bag filled with empty plastic water jugs.  When combined with the two empty beer bottles on the ground, it looked as though someone had a "bit of a bash" with well-watered down beer?..

 

The morning's silence was soon broken by the 9:42 am train to Boston...

 

Proceeding further upriver I eventually came to a bridge carrying the railroad across the river...

 

 

All portals under the bridge were blocked with logs on the upstream side and this created turbulence under the bridge and immediately downstream. 

With no portage trail visible I decided to prematurely end my ascent after traveling only a little more than a mile, and to begin my return trip downriver.  No sooner had I turned around, a bit disappointed, than a bald eagle was spotted circling above the nearby confluence with the Miles River.  This lifted my spirits, though I wasn't able to get a photo (still getting used to my new camera which doesn't have a viewfinder). 

The eagle appeared from behind these tall pines...

 

Other wildlife seen on the river today were mallards, wood ducks, red-winged blackbirds, woodpeckers, and Canada geese.

 

My trash haul for the day...

There were 29 recyclable containers (12 redeemable) and 18 pieces of miscellaneous rubbish consisting of plastic bags, and styrofoam.  Appropriately, there were two empty bottles of the town's namesake "Ipswich Ale" and two empty "Sam Adams" bottles for historical perspective. 

Most of today's trash was found at either the "camp" site or at the boat launch area with very little trash found in the river itself.

 

For now, the stretch of Ipswich River between the railroad bridge and Willowdale Dam continues to elude me. 

 

Yesterday, a short terrestrial riverbank patrol along the Assabet River at Knox Trail in Concord produced this catch...

There were 12 recyclable containers (7 redeemable) and 15 pieces of miscellaneous rubbish.

 

YTD = 1212

 

This past Monday morning's sunrise was enjoyed on my drive to work...